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A07876
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The excellencie of the mysterie of Christ Iesus Declared in an exposition, or meditation vpon the 16. verse of the first epistle of Saint Paul vnto Timothie.
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Moffett, Peter, d. 1617.
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1590
(1590)
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STC 18247; ESTC S114252
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40,698
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147
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THE Excellencie of the mysterie of Christ Jesus Declared in an exposition or meditation vpon the 16. verse of the first Epistle of Saint Paul vnto Timothie Ephes 3.14 c. For this cause I bow my knees vnto the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ 15 Of whome is named the whole familie in Heauen and in earth 16 That he might graunt you according to the riches of his glorie that yee may be strengthened by his Spirit in the inner man 17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith that yee being rooted and grounded in loue 18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height 19 And to knowe the loue of Christ which passeth knowledge that yee may be filled with all fulnes of God AT LONDON Printed by Thomas Orwin for Raphe Iackson and William Young 1590. To the two right Honorable sisters the Lady Margaret Countesse of Comberland and the Lady Anne Countesse of Warwicke grace mercie and peace be multiplied from God the father and from the Lord Iesus Christ his sonne SVndrie reasons mooued me most Honourable Madames both to publish this simple treatise and to dedicate the same vnto your Ladyships First of al I wished with Iob that my wordes were written Iob. 11.23 yea that they were imprinted in a booke not for that J longed to bring foorth some new discourse into the world which is pestered with infinit vnnecessary pamphlets and treatises but for that I greatly desired to spread that Doctrine farre and nere wherein onely the fountaine of Saluation and the flower of al sounde consolation consisteth Secondly in these days wherin is so much disorder and distractions I deemed it a most necessarie thing eueÌ in open street as it were to point again vnto that Lambe of God which taketh avvay the sinnes of the VVorlde that the simple may knowe what to stick vnto where to begin the building of the spirituall house of their professing the word and seruing God aright Thirdly howsoeuer the fixing of such a rude stock as this homely discourse is in the ground of the Lords orchard is indeed a work of no such art or cunning as whereby the learned may be increased in knowledge yet may it bee a meanes to stir vp some Paules or Apolloes hereupon to ingraft more choice and excellent siens and hereafter to set such noble plaÌts of the tree of life out of which most precious fruites may spring to the benefit coÌfort of the Church after that once the Lorde hath powred down his blessing on theÌ For indeed the Doctrine of the mystery of Christ Iesus is such a treasure house of al good things and such a root of true eternal happines that wheresoeuer it is taught with wisdome and with power and receaued with reuereÌce obedieÌce there glory will assuredly dwell and remaine Yea there such prosperity shal abouÌd in citie couÌtry that grace faith shal meet together righteousnes and peace shall kisse each other Psa 85.11.12 faith shall bud out of the earth and righteousnes shal looke dovvn from heauen These were Madames the chiefest of those reasons whereby I was brought at last after long withholding this my meditation from the presse to permit commit it thereunto albeit in mine owne opinion most vnworthy to come vnder it but in the iudgement of certaine special friends of mine vnto whoÌ a sight thereof hath bin imparted conuenient yea almost necessarie to be published Now as concerning the causes which made mee be so bold as to dedicate this simple treatise vnto your Ladiships they neither are in number fewer than those which induce me to let it come abroad nor lesse weighty in importaÌce First for asmuch as the Lorde hath cast vpon you all kindes of Honour in a manner so that you seeme to stand amidst the multitude of innumerable Christians or members of the Church among vs as Paragons preferred in degree aboue the rest Countesses of excellent and high account me thinketh if any haue gathered an heape of sweet pleasant flowers out of the Scripture for the vse or comfort of the professors of the gospel that such a garland is first to be proffered vnto your right honorable heads must needs best fit most seemely become your noble temples Againe seeing the fauour which you haue vouchsafed to beare and expresse toward mee hath been speciall J thought it my duety to repay some token of thankefulnes first and especially vnto your Ladiships of whome what remembrance J haue and toward whome what reuerence J beare Finally vnto whom how great prosperity J wish J knowe not by what meanes better to declare or testifie than by dedicating a treatise vnto you to giue you occasion both to knowe Christ Jesus more fully and to growe in him more firmely Last of all whereas albeit your estates are full of the riches of Gods mercie yet they are not so free from all aduersitie but that the Lorde of late hath exercised you with such losses and crosses as the Prophets speake of when they mention the tender mother bewailing hir first borne Zac. 12.10 and the louing yoke-fellowe girding hir selfe with sackcloth for the husband of her youth Ioel. 1.8 it may bee that in the mysterie of Christ Iesus through the blessing of the Lorde you shall finde some cordiall powder which shall driue away your dolefull pensiuenesse in some parte yea if you search it throughlie and make it your owne it will vndoubtedlie giue you an Ornament in place of ashes Esa 61.3 4 an oyntemeÌt of ioye in steed of mourning a Garment of praise in lievv of a broken spirit that ye may be called the oakes of righteousnes that as the plants of Iehoua yee may glorie that yee may builde the auncient vvast places that ye may restore the old deserts that yee may renew the desolate cities the deserts of manie generations Accept then Christian Madames from thankefull heart and reuerens hand this little booke concerning the excellencie of Christ Jesus presented vnto your Ladiships not for that J ayme at anie preferment or such by-markes as it ãâã but onely for the causes before alleadged Vouchsafe to protect it with your fauour to pardon the defects and faults therein escaped to conclude to profit by thee mysterie there in described Being now assured you will doe aboue that which is requested J most huÌbly commend your Ladiships to the tuition and heauenly blessing of that good God who hath so loued man in his Sonne Christ Jesus as to prepare for him those thinges which neither eye hath seene nor eare hath heard nor ãâã conceaued ãâ¦ã be all 1. Cor. 2.9 ãâ¦ã ãâ¦ã P.M. ⧠The excellencie of the mysterie of Christ Iesus 1. Tim. 3. Chap. 16. ver And that mysterie of godlines is great by one assent God hath been manifested in the flesh iustified in the spirite seene by the Angels preachââ ãâã âmong